Jim’s Blog

Is there any question about who should start at QB? DJ Hammond is good and is only going to get better. He had 281 yards of total offense and 3 touchdowns vs New Mexico..It was nice to see Kadin Remsberg get a few touches-one he cashed in for 54 yards. And after the game his girlfriend accepted his marriage proposal!!!!But AF still wants to focus their rush attack with the QB and the FB. Remsberg is one of the fastest players on the team, and his back up Joey Saucier always seems to make something happen when he gets the football….Grant Thiel looked very comfortable at safety, subbing for the injured Ross Connors. He finished with 7 tackles against New Mexico, 1 interception and a forced fumble. Not bad for your first career start…Was a little surprised New Mexico didn’t try to throw medium and deep balls more often. The Falcons have had trouble, especially on deep pass plays this season..Meanwhile Saturdays opponent, Wyoming, is like the Falcons. They also need 2 wins in 2 games to become bowl eligible. And it looks like they have settled in at Quarterback with Freshman Sean Chambers. The Cowboys have won 2 straight, and they also have the leading rusher in the conference in Nico Evans. I have a feeling Saturdays game in Laramie may look a lot like the Falcons game in New York against West Point-gritty, hard nosed, not very pretty. But something tells me Air Force escapes with a 3 point win.

Our coverage from Laramie with Ryan Kaufman and Jess Kurtz begins at 12p Saturday, with the kickoff at 2 on Colorado’s 740 KVOR.

That’s one way to describe the Air Force Football season 8 games in. Play well in spurts, play not so well in others, and come up short. Boise St was another example of that last week. Safety Ross Connors shared with me how frustrating it has become for the Falcons. You make a couple more plays in 3 of the 5 losses, and now you are 6-2. So where does it leave the Falcons with a month left in the season? Saturday, it’s Michie Stadium as the Falcons meet Army. Fascinating matchup for several reasons. One, Air Force wins the Commander in Chiefs trophy if they win this weekend. The Black Knights are 6-2, have a 10 game home winning streak, control the clock, and give up very few yards on the ground. And, oh yeah, last year….21-0 Army. At Falcon Stadium. I’m not sure if that sticks in the craw of the Falcons. Some teams would use that as motivation for this year. Not sure if it motivates Air Force, which is neither good or bad, just an observation. But I point that out because I think Army may be better this year than a season ago. Both defenses are excellent against the run and the offensive units will get stern tests. After that, its back to conference play, with New Mexico, Wyoming and Colorado State. So there is still time to turn this into a winning season, and a bowl season. But with 4 games left, you have to finish, and that’s something the Falcons have struggled with all year long.

I’m really curious about this game Saturday for a number of reasons. Can the Falcons beat a good team at home? Falcon Stadium is the only place in the conference where Boise St hasn’t won, although it is a small sample size. The Broncos strength is the Falcons weakness, because Boise St will throw the football all over the place. They have 7 receivers with 10 or more catches this year. Air Force has been suspect against the pass. Part of the challenge is getting pressure on the quarterback. The Falcons have just 9 sacks in 7 games. John Rudzinski, the Defensive Coordinator, may have to blitz on every play, because Brett Rypien has carved up every team he has faced when he has time. He was 22 of 26 against CSU last week. Those are John Madden Playstation numbers. You can’t give him time to throw…On the other side of the ball the Falcons have generally been able to move the ball and score against the Broncos Defense, however last year the Falcons committed 3 turnovers in the first half which led to 17 Bronco points. QB Isaiah Sanders will need to have a similar game Saturday as he did against UNLV. Sanders looked comfortable both running and throwing, and I thought he did an excellent job on his option reads. I also thought it was the best play calling game of the year by Offensive Coordinator Mike Thiessen. But Air Force may have to attempt 15-18 passes Saturday to keep the Broncos defense honest. Boise St has been the class of the conference, but it’s clear they are a little less confident when they play Air Force because of the option. What doesn’t help the Falcons is they probably will be without WR Ron Cleveland and LB Lakota Wills. Missing Cleveland will really hurt because he is a difference maker and a game breaker. Saturdays game isn’t a deal breaker for the Falcons, but it does narrow their chances of getting to a bowl. Should they lose, they would have to win 3 of their last 4 games, which include the likes of Army, Colorado State, Wyoming and New Mexico. Not an easy road the rest of the way.

Our coverage begins at 3pm Saturday afternoon with the Raytheon Pregame show on 740 KVOR. Kickoff is set for 5. For tickets, go to AFTickets.com

Injuries are part of College football. These two teams have been hit a bit harder than most. UNLV won’t have Quarterback Armani Rogers Friday night-He’s out with a toe injury. Rogers is a dynamic player and the Rebels offense was built around him. His back-up Max Gilliam may not be the runner Rogers is, but he is a solid quarterback…Air Force will be without QB Donald Hammond, with that high ankle sprain injury. Honestly thought it was much worse. Hammond is a good runner and has a big arm that will be missed…..I still think the Falcons have been inconsistent on offense. Isaiah Sanders will start Friday night. It’ s a good idea for all of us to remember that he is still very young in terms of gameday experience-but with that in mind he has to run better and throw with more authority. .. UNLV has given up 109 points on defense in the last 2 games. That’s a big OUCH!! They may have trouble slowing the option. But the Falcons have to avoid helping them. Air Force had 5 huge penalties last week that slowed or killed drives…The Falcons are close, but have to find a way to finish. 4 losses by 23 points-Ya know what that gets you? 4 losses. And the window is closing. Air Force has to win 4 of their last 6 to become bowl eligible-and there’s no gimmies on the schedule. It’s been a less than average season, purely from a wins and losses perspective. Can the Falcons make the last 6 weeks memorable, for all the right reasons? The quest begins Friday Night.

Join us live from Sam Boyd Stadium, with coverage at 6 and the Kickoff at 8pm Friday on Colorado’s 740 KVOR.

I have had a lot of people ask me about the Quarterback situation with Air Force. Arion Worthman started last week in place of an injured Isaiah Sanders. Then Worthman was replaced by DJ Hammond, who almost rallied the Falcons to victory. Worthman has not played well, and his two fumbles Saturday gave him a ticket to a seat on the bench. Just get the feeling he is way down on the depth chart…I liked the play of Hammond. He is a big kid, and ran over a Wolfpack defensive back last week. He will only get better. I like Sanders as well, but he’s only averaging 2.5 yards a rush. That has to get better. If you play the hot hand, it has to be Hammond starting Saturday, yes?….Thought the AF Defense played a good second half against Nevada. But they are not getting to the Quarterback and when you have time to throw you will complete a bunch of passes. Heck opposing QB’s are competing 68% of their passes against the Falcons..Way too high…The Falcons may have to blitz a ton the rest of the way…And 2 more points about the Falcon Offense…Gotta convert better on 3rd down. Right now Air Force is only converting 34%. They may have to get a bit more creative in play calling and throw the ball more when they don’t HAVE TO throw the ball. Navy is not expecting that, and I think it’s a great way to keep them off balance. Look, the Midshipmen have had two weeks to get ready and a I promise you they did not spend all that time worrying about the Falcons passing attack. So maybe you throw more to set up the run…And Air Force has to play more with the lead. Playing from behind more times than not is not a winning recipe…Navy’s defense has played better as of late…Malcolm Perry is a dangerous QB, and everyone in the starting backfield is averaging 6 plus yards a carry. You make one mistake and miss a shot to bring Perry down, and he is gone….It’s a typical Navy team, with a strong fullback and an excellent coaching staff…But they have not won in Colorado Springs since 2012.

Live coverage begins Saturday at 1130am. We’ll have the kickoff at 130 on 740 KVOR.

That’s one way to describe the Air Force Football season 8 games in. Play well in spurts, play not so well in others, and come up short. Boise St was another example of that last week. Safety Ross Connors shared with me how frustrating it has become for the Falcons. You make a couple more…… MORE

I’m really curious about this game Saturday for a number of reasons. Can the Falcons beat a good team at home? Falcon Stadium is the only place in the conference where Boise St hasn’t won, although it is a small sample size. The Broncos strength is the Falcons weakness, because Boise St will throw the…… MORE

Injuries are part of College football. These two teams have been hit a bit harder than most. UNLV won’t have Quarterback Armani Rogers Friday night-He’s out with a toe injury. Rogers is a dynamic player and the Rebels offense was built around him. His back-up Max Gilliam may not be the runner Rogers is, but…… MORE